Conspiracy of One
by Kaiser Ryouga II
Summary: Four people (Baiken, Ky, I-no and Sol) reflect upon their feelings toward That Man and those connected to him. Rated PG-13 for some bad language.


_**'CONSPIRACY OF ONE'**_

****

Red over white  
It's one last fatal scene  
Brought on by  
Someone unseen  
Moving on their own

Bring on the night  
And bring us all to our knees  
All are gone and none agreed  
One who acts alone

Nobody wins  
Nobody hears us fall  
Nobody wins when it's done

Conspiracy of One

__

Psyche of Baiken 

"_REVENGE"_

"Get out of my way!"

Isn't it just like western women to get themselves so flustered?

I've been trailing this path for so long, I had no idea I'd come so close nailing him, this soon. But I've come damn far. I could smell the bloodstained reek of That Man's hands a mile away. Finally I'm going to get my shot at killing that bastard. All that's left is to get past his servant wench.

I had heard about this woman in a nearby principality. Apparently attacking random eccentrics that had found themselves upon bounty hit lists. I have never dreamed that someone could cause so many troubles to so many people. Nor had I dreamed that someone could resist the _Garyou Tensei._ Least of all this absurd woman. Wielding an instrument as a weapon? It's foolish as that witch doctor with the scalpel. But no matter how powerful she is, or at least thinks she is, I will crush anything standing in my way. Unfortunately for my opponent, that includes her.

The woman parts those foul lips of hers again. "I said get the hell out of my way!"

A familiar slithering sound of steel leaving it sheath is the first thing to grace our ears. It signifies the rise of my blade, my greatest and only ally in my desire for revenge. And the woman in stands before me. With irritated eyes and an incensed glare. I'd pay that more mind if I hadn't noticed something. I can see the corpses behind her. She looks like she'd kill anyone who got in her way. She shares similarities with her benefactor. Not least of which, that unmistakable belief in dominion over life. Heartless butchery goes hand-in-hand with the master and the apprentice.

"I suggest you run," I jab, "Before I'm generous enough to slice you into bits."

She sneers. "You stupid moron. I don't have the time to deal with relics. I'll make your blood kiss the earth if you delay me..."

She's impatient, I see. "Once I kill you, I'll give the same blessings to your master."

"Is that right?" Finally, her chagrin subsides into a cocky smirk, "An old woman like you has business with That Man? Hah! Don't make me laugh! Scum like you won't go anywhere near him. I'll make fucking sure of it."

...Fanatical lunatic.

But I don't expect much from anyone connected to That Man. His evil is beyond words. An evil my soul just can't escape. And just as easily as I think of him, I remember his deeds upon that day...

I'll never forget the images that have been branded inside my mind. No matter how much I want to.

I remember the heat of the fire. Like an oven, baking something. The embers of the fire rising into the sky as they were carried along by the winds. The wails of all those who were dying around me. That horrid stink of flesh being cooked in the flames, the stains of red-fire blood in puddles strewn across the chipped stone floors. The injured but able managing to scrape up to their legs and claw to 'safety' by escaping the sight of the Gears. They were wrong in that belief. No one was ever safe from the Gears.

Even in an institution of a Japanese colony, no one was safe. Being nothing more than a child at that time, I was ignorant of the Crusades. Their ferocity, the numbers killed within those wars, or even the sheer level of suffering that this world was experiencing because of them. And so the saying goes, ignorance is paid in kind. But I wasn't the only one who turned a blind eye. I was just a child. What did I know of the world?! Why did I deserve to see my own people burned into humps of charred flesh?!

Why was that demon of a man ever allowed to set foot on my homeland!?

And he had the nerve... to stand before me... with those demonic Gears surrounding him... the tongues of flames dancing their act in the thickness of the smoke. Licking my skin. My eye cleaved from it's socket. My arm broken and subsequently hacked. And he had the nerve to stand before me...

He is no more a man than he is a devil.

An unthinking, unfeeling devil. A filthy devil that preys upon the weaknesses of others and guts himself with the blood of the innocent. No one on earth has earned themselves more disdain from me. And heaven help anyone who does.

The scars of that day have cut themselves so deep into my flesh that I can scarcely see a future for myself after I slaughter my prey.

...Because on that day the woman known as 'Baiken' virtually died. And she became a neither man nor woman. Femininity itself just became a phrase to her. The aspirations of her parents to see her married will never come to light.

Even in my age... I am untouched with affection. It might please those of a perverse nature to know that my 'womanhood' is unbroken. Such indulgences of the flesh are beyond me now. The only thing I have is my thirst for revenge. And my desire to see That Man eviscerated with this sword is the only thing that can satiate my lifelong thirst.

...Penance for the spirits of my deceased kin. And my people will be avenged even if I have to kill others to do this. Isn't ironic how bloodshed comes full-circle? Just goes to show you how much of my compassion I've lost. Maybe that's why I need to kill That Man.

For the simple fact that I... yearn to feel like a... worthwhile person again.

Psyche of Ky Kiske

"_CONFUSION"_

"_Better not get involved any more than you have."_

_It's him._

_I am a man that has seen so many aspects of the world and its people. Through the eyes of a child, the eyes of an adult, the eyes of a commoner, the eyes of a soldier, and the eyes of a police officer. And through these guises or 'aliases' of myself, I have learned things that I have yearned to know for what seems like a lifetime. And even things that I would have preferred not to know. _

_But through all of this... there has always been a question that I find no answer to. Not even with prayer given to the Holy Father. _

_Why do we fight on opposing sides when we share a common enemy? _

_Within the crystalline glass and chiselled walls of this cathedral, we face each other again. I see him smirk in his usual arrogant manner, his disposition following that same path. So uncaring and so un-ashamed of his sins. _

"_I cannot turn back," I answer, "The woman dressed in red... she has committed crimes against many people in recent days. I am obligated by warrants of the IPF to capture her so that she may stand in tribunal for these criminal acts."_

_I see Sol's smile lessen. "This ain't the place for a child."_

..._Child..._

_I am not a child. _

_He even bears the same perception of me. _

_Steam leaks upwards from the solid metal of his 'procured' blade, one of the many treasures of the former Sacred Order of Holy Knights. The Fireseal. And by seeing it I am reminded of why I bare this distaste for him._

_It does not strike me as irregular that we are to confront each other again. Through each Gear-related crisis I have been exposed to, Sol has also had a hand in it. First there was the final push in the Crusades. Led by myself and those under direct command of myself. The plan to expend the brunt of our resources in pushing the Gear armies out of Europe had been staged. I was charged with the hopes of the innocent and I had no intention of shirking that responsibility. But out of sheer surprise I was graced with a blessed soldier. A man so talented with the blade. However, he had an equal lack of respect to match his skill. In fact, it dwarfed it._

_This man was Sol Badguy._

_Throughout the time I had known him as a soldier, the word 'problematic' appeared time and time again. And when tensions between Sol and the Order reached a head, he went so far as to steal the Fireseal, the priceless sealing weapon that was equated with my faithful Thunderseal. _

_The indignity of it... _

_To trust a man who was more a deserter and a thief than he was a soldier. _

_And yet, in spite of disregard for others, he staged an assault upon the demonically iconic leader of the Gears; Justice. When I led the mission of the sealing of Justice, it was assumed that we had defeated it under our own merits. But from the savage flames... the war-like heat of the charred surrounding area, I had known that Sol had laid his mark upon the scene. And because of that, I was able to use the confining powers of the Thunderseal to erect the seal that was supposed to have remained forever. _

_Which leads to the second chapter of our saga with the Gears. That tournament. The tournament I have come to regard with mixed feelings. For it was at point that Justice drew its last breaths. But with those last breaths, it shattered all of the perceptions I had acquired about the Gears. Even after a year, those words still throb inside my heart. The conversation we shared still echoes in my mind..._

"_Evil...has no place in this world..." _

"_Evil? You dare to call me evil?! I fight for my own existence, no more, no less."_

"_That cannot be your reason for waging war on humans!" _

"_...Look at my body. I was created to kill humans...I'm a weapon. Yet, the same humans that created me _

_never thought about my mind, my soul. I'd have been used as a tool...and if I'd refused, I'd be dismantled!"_

"_...I..."_

"_Ask yourself...can you truly blame me? I was born into this world as a slave, and now you're here to destroy me. I know humans loathe me violently, and always will. I could do nothing but to live on, if for no other reason than to scorn my creators! But what do you think I've been living FOR!? My duty. My assigned role. I was created to kill, and so I do. It's justice!"_

"_That's a delusion! What God ordains and wishes for...THAT is justice! If anyone or anything attempts to deprive the world of that freedom... I'll defeat them all!" _

"_...I see. You should meet the man who created me. I wonder if you unwavering faith in justice would continue if you did..."_

"_Who...who's that?"_

_And I have yet to meet that person. _

_The man who authored the birth of the Commander Gear, Justice. Throughout the Crusades I paid no mind to whom or whomever had given life to the Gears. I was concerned only with protecting the world from them. But in these days of peace... I am forced to wonder about him. _

_What kind of person is he?_

_What was going through his mind when he created Justice?_

_Did he have any idea of the horrors he was going to unleash on the world?_

_And if he did... would he have stopped his actions? _

_It frightens me to know that there are still people in this ruined world who could do something like that. To condemn an entire planet to ruination with one action. A planet that now bears the scars of another man's greed. The man who created this nightmare, how can he live with himself? Could God forgive a man who would do such things to this world? For I know... I lack that grace. And though I am not sure just how the woman in red is tied into this, I suspect that she is in league with the creator of Justice. I think God has motioned me into opposition with That Man. That in itself is obvious. I also know that Sol pursues him. _

_Yet we will not walk along the same path. _

_Regardless of the similarities in our objectives, we both know where our current confrontation will take us. Again I ask, why do we fight on opposing sides if we share a common enemy? A question I yearn to know. But have not the time to ask. For I have a mission to accomplish. I will face That Man... _

..._But I have no idea how I will feel when I do. _

Psyche of I-no

"_AEGIS"_

**Ugh...**

**Dammit.**

**Why did I have to get caught up with this old bag right now? I have date to keep with Sol . I know that meat-sack will find his way here eventually. Dogs always have that shit-strong sense of smell. I'll have to deal with him when the time comes. Probably sooner rather than later. Which is why I need to get this old geezer-chick off my case.**

**Stupid fool.**

**Like she stands a chance against me and my power? Nobody else has. Not even that winged pirate girl. Makes me sick to see her prancing around like that. A Gear pretending to be a human? Delusional bitch. At least she screams good. I could fuck myself eternally on nothing more than my fingers and her screams... I suppose I'll finish her off when I get the chance...**

...**That is, after I take care of this problem. **

**This woman. With nothing more than a sword at her waist. Even an idiot can see that the old gal wants to rock hard with me. But does she really think she can go rounds with this gorgeous number when she's packing nothing more than a rusty old blade? Senile dementia must have set in on your mind, grandma. Besides, I haven't the time for this shit. I still need to put the finishing touches on my carnival. And now I'm getting pissed just by thinking of this woman in my face. In my way. **

"**Get out of my way!"**

**She says nothing at first. Doesn't even fucking move. A lesser person would think that she's just shit scared, but I know better. Most people are too stupid to realize that they should be afraid of me. I really don't need this crap right now...**

"**I said get the hell out of my way!"**

**That does the trick. Well, at least for a response. Seconds later she's actually drawing her sword from its little rest. Got a bit of a nice gleam, but a dull edge. Just like people these days. Talk a good game, love giving it large, but in the end, when they come up against someone like me? Heh... they're shit-fucked. **

"**I suggest you run," She says, I assume she's trying to be intimidating. "Before I'm generous enough to slice you into bits."**

**So. **

**This antiquated, one-armed loudmouth actually means to fight with me? Cute. And if I had the time to rip the holy hell out of another worthless person on my hit list, I'd gladly bring on this gal's timely death. Of course, the arrow on my patience gauge ain't pointing toward 'humour the old timer'. **

"**You stupid moron," I bark, "I don't have time to deal with relics. I'll make your blood kiss the earth if you delay me..."**

**It don't faze her. Sure as hell, my words don't even fucking faze her. Well... for a woman, she's got a nice set of balls on her. But when you're dealing with the Japanese, they always do find a way to surprise you. **

**But what really surprises me is her next comment...**

"**Once I kill you, I'll give the same blessings to your master." **

**Those are the bravest words I've ever heard from someone. Nobody in their right mind has the guts to face up to me. This chick is unique... but sorely mistaken. Not only for thinking that she could even SURVIVE a fight against me, but for thinking that she could get within a stone's throw of That Man. **

**You pompous, arrogant bitch... **

"**Is that right?" I can't help but smile at how stupid this old battleaxe is, "An old woman like you has business with That Man? Hah! Don't make me laugh! Scum like you won't go anywhere near Him. I'll make fucking sure of it."**

**I see that woman think to herself for a moment. She ain't scared in the least. That's admirable. Foolish though. Oh man, is it ever foolish. And sure as hell, she'll pay for it. My fingers start strumming along the sultry sweet strings of my sweet baby girl. To think about the amount of people who've been killed with this guitar... it boggles the fucking mind. And sends aches to my crotch. So if Madame Suicide wishes to be added to that list, then by all fucking means, lets do it. **

**I won't let anyone stand in my way. I won't let anyone get near That Man.**

**For He is the future. **

**That Man will cleave a path that no on else understands. I have bound myself to Him. I'll kill and fight for Him. As much as it takes, as long as it takes. My Carnival damn sure is for my amusement. But I have a deeper need. Straight after I was freed from that ice, I knew, implicitly, what I had to do.**

**Eliminate anyone who gets in That Man's way. **

**And I'll kill God himself to bring that aspiration to light. **

"**ORRAAH!"**

**Bang! From that throaty battle cry I can tell that Grandma is on the attack. Kind of abrupt, but I can dig it. And I won't hold back this time. As soon as the old gal rushes forwards with that sword of hers, she slashes. With a grin, my lithe and sexy body dances away from that feeble attack. My hand rises into the air, just about to strike down on my guitar strings and lay on the pain.**

**Time to give it to 'um, baby...**

**Once my fingers give the command, my guitar does the work. Waves of a slashing and tearing supersonic energy, released in a bang of thundering glory. Cutting up the air, they strike this Japanese swordswoman before she can even shift her feet. Straight hit in the stomach.**

**Heh, heh, heh. **

...**Mother-fucking score. **

"**Ugh!" She grunts. Already coughing a bit of blood, too.**

**Terrific!**

"**That's it, bitch. Feel the pain my power can dish out. Doesn't it get your juices flowing? To know that a beautiful woman is kicking your ass? That you're gonna die at the hands of me? I-no? Avatar to the one true saviour, That Man? Come on, grandma, tell me it doesn't wet your cunt."**

**The swordswoman falls to the ground, puking more blood. We all know what that means. Internal damage, baby! It's the only way to die. Soon as she rolls over, she scowls at me. Please don't tell me she's not enjoying this? **

"**Y-You're insane..."**

"**No, honey," I assure her, my marbles aren't misplaced. "I'm just an innocent gal who loves a damn good time. Of course... I can play rough. Especially when That Man is concerned. So I'm gonna let you lie here for a while and think about that. Get in my way again, and I'll rip out your throat. Toodles!"**

**Heh, heh, heh... **

...**Nobody can stop me. **

Psyche of Sol Badguy

"_CONCLUSION"_

_**Kiske. **_

_**I dunno who invited him here, but this ain't the time or the place for him. I-no's been freed. If what the others said is right... then that bastard must have let her loose. But what the hell for? Hmm. **_

_**I'll figure it out. **_

_**I just have to clear the park a little. "Better not get involved anymore than you have."**_

_**He looks puzzled. As if I'm going straight over him. What is it with this kid? Is he that damn blind? If he is, he shouldn't be here. This isn't a job for boys anymore. **_

"_**I cannot turn back," I here him say. "The woman dressed in red... she has committed crimes against many people in recent days. I am obligated by the orders of the IPF to capture her so that she may stand in tribunal for these criminal acts."**_

..._**So he knows about I-no. "This ain't the place for a child."**_

_**I see his face twist from that.**_

_**But that's what you are Kiske. A child. Still so blindly optimistic. Still so eager to think that you could 'save the earth' with determination alone. As long as you cling to your little romance with your 'god' you'll think you can move planets. It's high time you grew up a bit. But I'm not going to make him open those blind-ass eyes of his. **_

_**I gotta get my hands on him... 'That Man'.**_

_**That son of a bitch. **_

_**When I sent Type-01 to hell, it spoke to me. A few last words. To meet with the creator. To have spoken one last time. He fooled you, Justice. You weren't the first. That curse was reserved for a someone equally as guilty as That Man. **_

..._**Frederick. **_

_**I can't even think about that name. The moment I hear that name I wanna demolish something. That ain't me anymore. That naive kid... so caught up with research and discovery that he couldn't see what he was about to unleash on the world. Or how it would change his life forever. **_

_**Sucks for my choices in life, eh?**_

_**Over 150 years. **_

_**That's roughly how long I've been paying for those choices. Could be more than that, I suppose. You lose track of your count after your 125th birthday. Especially when you don't wanna remember what damn day you were born. Mostly because it's a birthday that doesn't deserve to be remembered. **_

_**But also 'cause I won't kid myself. I don't live for myself anymore, so it wouldn't matter. I don't even care anymore. Don't even think I ever did. **_

_**But I will turn fire on you...**_

_**You bastard. **_

_**All I have is you. That Man. I ain't gonna die knowing that you're walking around free. I'll find you one day. And I'll make you die a thousand times over before I scatter your ashes into the winds. To seal off the last fucking chapter to that damned Gear Project. We can both just die along with it. **_

_**Cause there nothing less expected for the man who raped the world. **_

Bring on the night  
And bring us all to our knees  
All are gone and none agreed  
One who acts alone

Red over white  
It's one last fatal scene  
Brought on by  
Someone unseen  
Moving on their own

Nobody wins  
Nobody hears us fall  
Nobody wins when it's done

Conspiracy of One

Kaiser's Afterthoughts

Hey, I'm back, after a long hiatus from the GG scene. And I haven't come alone. This fiction was the first of a few short stories I have planned for Guilty Gear, as a warm-up for when I start my next GG novel. I'm not sure when I'll start the novel because none of my plans are finalized. But I should be well underway by Mid-October. Until then, you'll have a chain of additional stories from me (most between 3,000-10,000 words in length). If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for what they might like to see in my next novel, then by all means, e-mail about them. Always happy to discuss!

If you have any comments about the fanfiction you've just read, leave a review. I haven't written about any of these characters in a while so I'm probably a bit rusty when it comes to their characterization. But this was a 'spur of the moment' kinda thing, so I didn't spend much time planning or writing it.

The song in this short story, _Conspiracy of One_, is not mine. It's taken from the _Conspiracy of _One album which was written and performed by the Offspring. Ownership of this song is reserved solely for The Offspring and the geezers at Columbia.


End file.
